Is it worth putting in the effort to go over 3.8+ ?

[Workinghinata]

(this is in context as an ORM)

Is the 0.01-0.19 increase in GPA is even worth it in med admissions eyes if you're an ORM? I'm asking because I want to make sure I'm budgeting my time well between ECs and GPA for my remaining years in undergrad and don't know whether I want to take on a few extra science classes or just stop at the low ~3.8 range.

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[892002]

A 0.19 increase in sGPA is definitely worth it as long as you don’t sacrifice too much. As an ORM with a 3.5...my application cycle was pretty stressful.

 

[Workinghinata]

Ok realistically (for me) the point difference is 0.05 as there's no way I can get over a 3.9 with the time I have left haha

 

[Goro]

(this is in context as an ORM)

Is the 0.01-0.19 increase in GPA is even worth it in med admissions eyes if you're an ORM? I'm asking because I want to make sure I'm budgeting my time well between ECs and GPA for my remaining years in undergrad and don't know whether I want to take on a few extra science classes or just stop at the low ~3.8 range.

Having an extra 200 hrs in an EC you're passionate about will look far better than you being yet another hyperachiever with cookie cutter ECs.

 

[bananafish94]

Yes, having a GPA above 3.8 is definitely worth it. I think once you get above that there's not much difference between 3.82 and 3.97 or whatever but staying above 3.8 will keep doors open.

 

[Dr. Scribe]

Even if it’s not worth it to you, it will be worth it to your competitors. Remember that.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Yes, having a GPA above 3.8 is definitely worth it. I think once you get above that there's not much difference between 3.82 and 3.97 or whatever but staying above 3.8 will keep doors open.

Sadly it's true. There's something magical about the 3.8 cutoff. A 3.79 just doesn't seem as enticing as a 3.81.

 

[thegrind33]

I always like to have the attitude of I'm going to do everything I can do get the best results. IMO I would feel bad if I didn't get the grade I wanted because I did not put in the effort, but if I did put in the effort and didn't get the grade I wanted then oh well. Do everything you can do get the highest grades because you never know what future circumstances might hit you.

 

[Workinghinata]

I'm definitely along the same lines of thinking as you but for me I'm more asking whether or not I should invest my time in more sGPA classes to get a 3.85+ vs 3.8 or spend it doing other things

 

[thegrind33]

I'm definitely along the same lines of thinking as you but for me I'm more asking whether or not I should invest my time in more sGPA classes to get a 3.85+ vs 3.8 or spend it doing other things

A .05 difference isn't totally significant, but it could give you a little edge. If grinding for that A is really hindering your other activities I would just coast to a B. But then again I assume it is finals week for you, and giving up ECs for a week for a grade really is not that big of a deal.

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

A 0.19 increase in sGPA is definitely worth it as long as you don’t sacrifice too much. As an ORM with a 3.5...my application cycle was pretty stressful.

How did it end up? DO? MD?

 

[FlavivirusProtease]

Sadly it's true. There's something magical about the 3.8 cutoff. A 3.79 just doesn't seem as enticing as a 3.81.

This is how I felt having a 3.49

3.5 just sounds so much better, but in reality, is maybe like 3 exam questions throughout undergrad away

 

[DokterMom]

Sadly it's true. There's something magical about the 3.8 cutoff. A 3.79 just doesn't seem as enticing as a 3.81.

Having an extra 200 hrs in an EC you're passionate about will look far better than you being yet another hyperachiever with cookie cutter ECs.

These -- 3.8 or above hits a mental threshold. There's really not much (any?) difference between 3.81 and 3.84 or 3.86, so if 'settling' for 3.81 gives you sufficient time to beef up your ECs, spend your time doing that instead, secure in the knowledge that your GPA is already in the "Excellent" category.


Edited to clarify after @Goro's pithy observation: The more important point is that there's really not much difference between a 3.81 and a 3.86 -- They're both "excellent". A 3.75 or 3.79 is also "very, very good" and won't really hurt you at all but the most stat conscious schools. The aspect of your application to focus on is the one that's "weakest but improvable" -- and a 3.8-something GPA isn't it.

 

[Goro]

Sadly it's true. There's something magical about the 3.8 cutoff. A 3.79 just doesn't seem as enticing as a 3.81.

This is one of those "every word you wrote is not correct" moments.

 

[Deleted member 737595]

Oooo ooo! What about 3.74 vs 3.79? Worth trying to get that 0.05??? Or should I get 800 hours of service with the underserved and just be happy with the sub par 3.73????

Lol, people need to relax. Anything above a 3.7 will be listened to everywhere. A 3.7 won't keep you out of any medical school except MAYBE Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Stanford.... but who actually really wants to go to these places? If you're worried about not getting into top tier, you're probably in for a rude awakening.

And let's not even talk about Princeton. They have a 3.8 cutoff... even if you're an ex-military olympic gold medalist nobel laureate Mother Theresa.

 

[pewpew95]

It also all depends on your MCAT... a 3.7 paired with a thicc 519 is probably better than a 3.8 with a 511.

Edit: I’m also an ORM. After this cycle I wished I had been above the school GPA medians listed on MSAR. It’s all in retrospect, of course.

 

[FlavivirusProtease]

ORM with a 3.5 getting into Dartmouth? What's your secret?

This is really off topic, but I wasn't sure how good Dartmouth was as a med school, so after your comment, I went to search it on the MSAR and accidentally typed in Fartmouth.

I'm still laughing to myself.

 

[892002]

for an ivy league, it isn't high, but it's not a bad school. Regardless point is he/she has a 3.5gpa and got into a ranked school as an orm could be due to postbacc or smp gpa as well. I was just curious.

I didn't do a SMP or a post-bac. I honestly don't know how I got in. I'm just glad I did. I actually know quite a few ORMs who got in with around a 3.5-3.6, so a low GPA/ORM isn't necessarily a death sentence.

 

[Deleted member 737595]

This is really off topic, but I wasn't sure how good Dartmouth was as a med school, so after your comment, I went to search it on the MSAR and accidentally typed in Fartmouth.

I'm still laughing to myself.

This, this is quality. Thank you for making SDN the great place it is.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

This is one of those "every word you wrote is not correct" moments.

And this is one of those “wow I can’t believe you bully people on the internet despite being a grown man” moments

 

[Prometheus123]

Having an extra 200 hrs in an EC you're passionate about will look far better than you being yet another hyperachiever with cookie cutter ECs.

Sadly it's true. There's something magical about the 3.8 cutoff. A 3.79 just doesn't seem as enticing as a 3.81.

This is one of those "every word you wrote is not correct" moments.

And this is one of those “wow I can’t believe you bully people on the internet despite being a grown man” moments

IMHO, correcting someone is different than bullying. You said there is something "magical" about "the 3.8 cutoff", arguably implying that most medical schools autoscreen out anyone with a GPA below 3.8, which is absurd.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think others were referring to a general rule of thumb meant to distinguish between more significant differences than 3.79 vs. 3.8. Your post was based on these opinions, but it restated them in a way that was unrealistic and potentially misleading. Pointing it out is more akin to a public service announcement than bullying.

I don't read any malice in what Goro said. Also, it's a pre-professional forum, so it's probably best not to insult people, especially when they provide as much valuable knowledge and perspective to the community as Goro does.

Personally, I'm OK with people including a zinger here and there (especially if it's kind of funny and they're helping me). None of us are perfect. Being OK with that is the first step towards growth. Can't speak for anyone else, but I'm happier when I take myself less seriously so that I can laugh at myself.